Cassiopea has in the sky the shape of W formed mainly from 5 stars of
which alpha cassiopeiae is Shedar (the chest in Arab), beta is Caph
(that is “hand spotted”), therefore called from the Arabs because
for they it seemed spotted of henna, a plant used in order to dye
of red the fabrics; delta is Ruchbah (“knee” in Arab).
Cassiopea was the vain wife of the king of Ethiopia Cefeo: in the sky
indeed the two corresponding constellations are near, and represent
the only couple of spouses in the firmament.
Cassiopea , while it was combed, asserted of being more beautiful of
the Nereidi, the fifty nymphs of the sea daughters of Nereo, the Old
of the Sea. It made part of they Anfitrite, the wife of Poseidone
(Neptune for the Roman), the God of the sea. She offense for the
insult and convinced the husband to punish the Queen of Ethiopia
for its superbia, and the God sended a marine monster (celebrated in
the constellation of the Balena) to plunder the coasts of its reign.
Cassiopea and Cefeo decided therefore to sacrifice to the monster their
daughter Andromeda but she was saved from Perseo, in one of the
most famous missions of rescue in the history of mythology. Cassiopea
was condemned to turn in eternal around to the celestial pole,
forced in some periods to make it to head in down.